The Civilized Brits

105-year-old woman terrorised by burglars
By Jo Pearson, Evening Standard
4 April 2005
The first pictures have been released of the 105-year-old woman who died after being targeted repeatedly by burglars.

Amelia Whale, shown here celebrating her 100th birthday, refused to move from the home she shared with her younger brother Leonard in Islington, despite four break-ins in 18 months.

Police installed security bars and CCTV last year after the third burglary. But that did not stop Bernard Gallagher, 23, and Mark O'Brien 26, raiding her home last September and stealing £2,000.

The pair, both travellers, were caught on camera and traced to a campsite. They now face jail.

But Miss Whale, known to her friends as Dolly, will never see them receive justice. She died from natural causes last month after living in fear. Her friends and family said she never recovered from the trauma of the break-ins - and have called for lengthy jail sentences to be imposed.

Former neighbours Sheila and Tony Ashby said that Miss Whale's health deteriorated after the raid and that she had died fearful of becoming a victim yet again.

Mr Ashby, who now lives in Chingford, said: "They should get 20 years. Terrorising old people is not a victimless crime. They knew she was an old lady. She was as good as gold beforehand."

Mrs Ashby said her neighbour had been deliberately targeted by the intruders. "After the burglary she was very nervous, especially when Len went shopping. The cowards waited for Len to go out. They were taunting her." Miss Whale, a former leather worker, had lived in the house off Essex Road, for 93 years.

Gallagher and O'Brien admitted one count of burglary in court last Friday.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that they and an accomplice forced their way in while Miss Whale was in the sitting room. They then ransacked the flat, rifling through boxes and throwing them on to the floor.

They even dragged Miss Whale up from her chair to search underneath for her pension book. She was unable to stand up by herself.

Eventually the burglars discovered the Whales' life savings, stashed in a shoe box.

The CCTV set up at Miss Whale's home helped identify all three men. Police arrested Gallagher and O'Brien at a caravan site in Wickford, Essex. They will be sentenced on Friday, but the hunt for their accomplice goes on.

The Brits are so much safer after disarming the law-abiding population of those terrible, nasty firearms!

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ScorpioVI

April 4, 2005, 05:00 PM

Listen, like most of the guys here, I'm in disagreement about the way the Brits handled the firearm issue... but... let's not use a 105-year-old woman (who can't even stand on her own) as an example of "what might have happened if she had a gun".

Guns aren't the answer for everything, nor are they for everybody.

firesafety3

April 4, 2005, 05:17 PM

Point well taken, ScorpioVI.

But in the general interest of the story, just think of this 105 year old woman whose life spanned the greatest time period in the history of mankind and she finishes her days feeble and scared. Such a shame.

Too bad she didn't have a couple of great-grandsons staying with her.

How chickens**t can you get.

Jay Kominek

April 4, 2005, 05:17 PM

Listen, like most of the guys here, I'm in disagreement about the way the Brits handled the firearm issue... but... let's not use a 105-year-old woman (who can't even stand on her own) as an example of "what might have happened if she had a gun".
You're quite right on one level. With or without a gun, a 105 year old woman who can't stand on her own is going to have a rough time of things.

But keep in mind the deterrent and, uh, "cleansing" effects of firearms in society. These fellows might not have lived long enough to rob this woman if they'd run across someone armed earlier in their careers.

Parallax

April 4, 2005, 05:24 PM

No guns, but you can put up cameras, so we can arrest the criminals after they've killed you, raped your wife and stolen all of your stuff :rolleyes:

30 cal slob

April 4, 2005, 05:28 PM

Even if that lady had a gun, it's not like the Brits would have let her use it to defend herself.

"Self-defence" is not a lawful use of a firearm. After all, that's barbaric.

Crosshair

April 4, 2005, 06:05 PM

I do say good chap, would you kindly stop raping and beating my wife. She hates it when people do that, it gives her such a headache. I'm going to go get a cup of tea and call the police, would you like me to get you something while i'm in the kitchen.

/How the h:fire:ll did England go from ruling half the world to this in under 75 years. :confused:

shermacman

April 4, 2005, 06:29 PM

I was going to make an obnoxious comment about the success of Britian's gun control laws but the lady is dead from the fright and fear of the ordeal. I just can not understand the idiocy of Britian's rulers and the foolishness of Britian's sheeple.

But then I remembered something, I live in Massachusetts.

Stickjockey

April 4, 2005, 06:49 PM

How the h :fire: ll did England go from ruling half the world to this in under 75 years. :confused:

The same way we will. (Not that we rule half the world, but we are the only superpower extant.)

"They should get 20 years....

20 years? Can you say murder?? How about life? :cuss:

FRIENDLY

April 4, 2005, 07:04 PM

Please note the word travellers in the article.This is British for Gypsies or Roms so listen to the civil libertarians scream supporting them.

Drizzt

April 4, 2005, 07:08 PM

These people have nothing to do with gypsies or Romanians. Travellers are a bunch of con-artists and thieves. Those in Britiain and here in the States are generally all of Anglo background.

Bear Gulch

April 4, 2005, 07:28 PM

I don't expect a woman of 105 to have to defend herself with a gun. In a decent society she would have no need to.

Standing Wolf

April 4, 2005, 08:51 PM

Guns aren't the answer for everything, nor are they for everybody.

You're entirely correct; I believe the acute, chronic fear of heavily armed home owners, however, is the answer for all burglars.

taliv

April 4, 2005, 09:11 PM

umm... is it just me, or is this article completely stupid?

the woman is ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE YEARS OLD. There's not even a reasonable suspicion she died from "fear". good grief!

look at the facts (as reported, at least)...

2 guys burglerized her 4 times in 18 months. They were sentenced last friday, which probably means they were caught several months ago. Their last raid was September. She died last month. That's 7 months after the last break-in!

it's interesting that Jo Pearson fails to mention what their sentence was. i wonder why.

TMM

April 4, 2005, 09:32 PM

if i was a burglar, i'd be really scared if old grammy started waving a revolver at me...

~TMM

Parallax

April 4, 2005, 10:59 PM

umm... is it just me, or is this article completely stupid?

the woman is ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE YEARS OLD. There's not even a reasonable suspicion she died from "fear". good grief!

look at the facts (as reported, at least)...

2 guys burglerized her 4 times in 18 months. They were sentenced last friday, which probably means they were caught several months ago. Their last raid was September. She died last month. That's 7 months after the last break-in!

Facts? Huh? Why bother with facts when we can sensationalize everything as much as possible instead?

if i was a burglar, i'd be really scared if old grammy started waving a revolver at me...

Out of all the people I could have pointing a gun at me, I'd pick an old lady last.

Old- nothing to lose
Woman- highly irrational

:eek:

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